"Too bad I ran out of bullets at this moment. This dog really got lucky," Chen Jinzhao muttered to himself in the darkness.
But he wasn't discouraged. He had already eliminated five of the six men opposite him, leaving only one. With that, Chen Jinzhao was no longer afraid, even if the remaining one had a pistol.
"The real counter-ambush begins now." Chen Jinzhao stepped out of the woods and walked directly towards the bearded man.
The bearded man raised his gun and fired.
However—
None of these bullets hit Chen Jinzhao.
Either Chen Jinzhao dodged them, or they were blocked by the Tai Sui he held, unable to harm him at all. This sent a wave of shock through the bearded man.
How had Chen Jinzhao become so strong again after so many years?
*Swish!*
The dry grass crunched underfoot as Chen Jinzhao’s figure drew nearer. The bearded man gritted his teeth and said, "Are you so confident you're not afraid of me killing you!"
Upon hearing this.
Chen Jinzhao finally stopped. He was less than ten meters from the bearded man, close enough for both to see the contours of each other’s faces.
The bearded man’s appearance flashed in Chen Jinzhao’s mind, causing his expression to darken. He spoke with hesitation, "Zhang Jingchou, why is it you?"
Zhang Jingchou laughed heartily, "Why can't it be me?"
Chen Jinzhao shook his head inwardly, expressing his disappointment. "I had imagined countless possibilities, but never you. I'd rather not have recognized your face."
"Chen Jinzhao, stop pretending. Your fake sincerity makes me sick," Zhang Jingchou chuckled again, his eyes filled with contempt.
Chen Jinzhao let out a sigh.
The Zhang Jingchou before him had once been his teammate, someone he had fought alongside and faced death with. Chen Jinzhao could never have imagined why Zhang Jingchou would want to kill him.
After all.
Chen Jinzhao had considered Zhang Jingchou a brother.
And now they were facing each other with weapons drawn…
"Cut the nonsense. We are in an irreconcilable situation now. Only one of us will see the sun rise tomorrow," Zhang Jingchou said indifferently. The past was irrelevant to him; he only cared about the future.
Chen Jinzhao found himself unable to act.
Back when he hadn't retired, Zhang Jingchou had quietly left, without even a word to anyone else. Chen Jinzhao hadn't seen him since, and who would have thought their reunion would be under such circumstances?
He looked up at Zhang Jingchou, his voice filled with confusion.
"Can you tell me why?"
"You left without saying goodbye back then, and now you're trying to kill me."
Zhang Jingchou let out a cold snort.
He said dismissively, "Then I'll tell you. I want wealth and glory. I want my descendants to live under my patronage for generations. So, we were never on the same path from the start. My eyes are only on money and power. I joined the Cerberus Special Forces because I wanted to use this platform to get noticed by the big players!"
Chen Jinzhao was stunned into silence.
Now, everything made sense.
Zhang Jingchou's quiet departure from the team must have been due to him catching the eye of some influential figure who made him substantial promises.
It was a personal choice, and Chen Jinzhao couldn't fault him for it.
He shook his head and sighed, "Everyone has their aspirations. I don't think you did anything wrong in that regard."
"But—"
"I can tell you very clearly, what you've done tonight is the most foolish and absurd thing you've ever done. No one can save you."
"Chen Jinzhao, don't act so high and mighty. I know you were very strong back then, reaching S-rank! But that's all in the past. As far as I know, you've fallen from S-rank after your last severe injury. Your current strength should be inferior to mine."
Zhang Jingchou smiled, looking like he had everything under control.
"You lost."
Chen Jinzhao spoke up suddenly.
Zhang Jingchou's eyebrows furrowed, and he roared, "What nonsense are you spouting? We haven't even fought yet, how can you know I'll lose?"
"Because you're afraid of me," Chen Jinzhao stated plainly.
Before Zhang Jingchou could retort, he continued, "Your subordinates already made it clear. The order from above was for you to kill Li Qiutao, but you went ahead and decided to take this opportunity to kill me because you know I'm not in good condition right now, and it's the best time to kill me. In other words, you know you're not my match and can only attack me when I'm weak."
"You've already lost in terms of momentum."
Zhang Jingchou's expression shifted multiple times. Chen Jinzhao's words had struck a nerve, causing him to shout, "Enough! I don't want to hear any more of your rambling. Tonight, I'll send you to the Yellow Springs to meet your brothers!"
"Do you have any last words?"
The light in Chen Jinzhao's eyes grew brighter, making it difficult for Zhang Jingchou to look directly at him. Zhang Jingchou sighed, "After all these years, you're still so confident. I'm truly impressed."
"I have nothing to say. Go ahead," Chen Jinzhao shook his head.
The two fell silent, staring intently at each other.
A gust of wind swept through the mountains, rustling the leaves and creating a soft, sibilant sound.
"Kill!"
Zhang Jingchou let out a low growl, then charged towards Chen Jinzhao at rapid speed!
The ground beneath his feet almost caved in. He moved like a tiger descending a mountain, his momentum unstoppable!
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Chen Jinzhao.
Then, he threw a powerful punch!
Chen Jinzhao raised his hand to block. Without using Tai Sui, he engaged Zhang Jingchou in a fierce exchange. Both possessed extensive combat experience, and neither could gain an immediate advantage. It appeared to be a match of equal skill.
Both were astonished.
Chen Jinzhao was surprised that Zhang Jingchou's physical body was not inferior to his. He had been hit by Zhang Jingchou's fists several times, and surprisingly, he felt a slight pain! In past battles, Chen Jinzhao's physical advantage had been overwhelmingly dominant.
*Boom!*
They exchanged a punch!
Neither managed to inflict damage on the other, but both were pushed back a step, creating distance.
Zhang Jingchou's brow furrowed as he stared intently at Chen Jinzhao.
In reality, his strength had far surpassed its previous level, reaching S-rank. This was the confidence that allowed Zhang Jingchou to hunt Chen Jinzhao.
Moreover—
With the help of Second Master, Zhang Jingchou had undergone advanced surgical modifications abroad, replacing a portion of his bones with special alloys, making his physique far stronger than that of an ordinary person.
He could no longer be considered purely human; he was a super-soldier, a fusion of flesh and machinery.
This was the price he paid for enhancing his own power!
Zhang Jingchou had expected to defeat Chen Jinzhao with overwhelming superiority and crush him under his feet!
He hadn't expected to fail.
He narrowed his eyes and said, "No, your strength hasn't fallen from S-rank. All those rumors are false. You're luring a snake out of its hole!"
Chen Jinzhao withdrew his thoughts. Hearing Zhang Jingchou's words, he couldn't help but let out a cold snort. "You're right. Haven't I just lured out a venomous snake?"
"Still spewing venom with your mouth. Watch how I kill you!" Zhang Jingchou, utterly confident in his own strength, let out a low roar and charged at Chen Jinzhao again.
The two clashed once more.
Chen Jinzhao, no longer underestimating his opponent, unleashed his full strength against Zhang Jingchou. This significantly boosted his speed and power, allowing Chen Jinzhao to gradually gain the upper hand in this exchange.
"How is this possible?!" Zhang Jingchou was utterly shocked.
Initially, he had believed he held the advantage, but he found himself being suppressed by Chen Jinzhao. His pride and joy, his physique, offered no advantage against Chen Jinzhao.
He gritted his teeth, a new killing intent arising in his heart.
No matter what, he had to kill Chen Jinzhao. Otherwise, Chen Jinzhao would become even more formidable in the future!
The battle entered a white-hot stage.
Chen Jinzhao gradually noticed something unusual about Zhang Jingchou. The man seemed oblivious to pain. His fists were bloody and mangled, yet he continued to throw punches relentlessly!
"Something's wrong..."
"Why are his bones black?" Chen Jinzhao instinctively thought Zhang Jingchou's body had undergone a mutation, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He said coldly, "Zhang Jingchou, you are indeed ruthless. You've implanted special alloys into your body. After doing this, are you even human anymore?"
As his words fell.
Chen Jinzhao threw a punch with astonishing speed, which greatly shocked Zhang Jingchou!
Against this punch, Zhang Jingchou’s movements seemed incredibly slow, as if he were stuck in a swamp.
As slow as a snail!
He could only watch helplessly as this unstoppable punch slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward and crashing into the grass!
Zhang Jingchou's heart filled with dread. As he raised a hand to his chest, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes. Then, he spoke with a heavy tone.
"Chen Jinzhao, there's something very unusual about you!"
"Even an S-rank wouldn't possess such immense strength. What level is your power truly at?"